Chapter 68, 52 verses
Noon. I swear by the pen and what the angels write,
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم ن ۚ والقلم وما يسطرون
Nun. By the Pen and the (Record) which (men) write, -
By the grace of your Lord you are not mad.
ما أنت بنعمة ربك بمجنون
Thou art not, by the Grace of thy Lord, mad or possessed.
And most surely you shall have a reward never to be cut off.
وإن لك لأجرا غير ممنون
Nay, verily for thee is a Reward unfailing:
And most surely you conform (yourself) to sublime morality.
وإنك لعلى خلق عظيم
And thou (standest) on an exalted standard of character.
So you shall see, and they (too) shall see,
فستبصر ويبصرون
Soon wilt thou see, and they will see,
Which of you is afflicted with madness.
بأييكم المفتون
Which of you is afflicted with madness.
Surely your Lord best knows him who errs from His way, and He best knows the followers of the right course.
إن ربك هو أعلم بمن ضل عن سبيله وهو أعلم بالمهتدين
Verily it is thy Lord that knoweth best, which (among men) hath strayed from His Path: and He knoweth best those who receive (true) Guidance.
So do not yield to the rejecters.
فلا تطع المكذبين
So hearken not to those who deny (the Truth).
They wish that you should be pliant so they (too) would be pliant.
ودوا لو تدهن فيدهنون
Their desire is that thou shouldst be pliant: so would they be pliant.
And yield not to any mean swearer
ولا تطع كل حلاف مهين
Heed not the type of despicable men, - ready with oaths,
Defamer, going about with slander
هماز مشاء بنميم
A slanderer, going about with calumnies,
Forbidder of good, outstepping the limits, sinful,
مناع للخير معتد أثيم
(Habitually) hindering (all) good, transgressing beyond bounds, deep in sin,
Ignoble, besides all that, base - born;
عتل بعد ذلك زنيم
Violent (and cruel), - with all that, base - born, -
Because he possesses wealth and sons.
أن كان ذا مال وبنين
Because he possesses wealth and (numerous) sons.
When Our communications are recited to him, he says: Stories of those of yore.
إذا تتلى عليه آياتنا قال أساطير الأولين
When to him are rehearsed Our Signs, "Tales of the ancients", he cries!
We will brand him on the nose.
سنسمه على الخرطوم
Soon shall We brand (the beast) on the snout!
Surely We will try them as We tried the owners of the garden, when they swore that they would certainly cut off the produce in the morning,
إنا بلوناهم كما بلونا أصحاب الجنة إذ أقسموا ليصرمنها مصبحين
Verily We have tried them as We tried the People of the Garden, when they resolved to gather the fruits of the (garden) in the morning.
And were not willing to set aside a portion (for the poor).
ولا يستثنون
But made no reservation, ("If it be Allah's Will").
Then there encompassed it a visitation from your Lord while they were sleeping.
فطاف عليها طائف من ربك وهم نائمون
Then there came on the (garden) a visitation from thy Lord, (which swept away) all around, while they were asleep.
So it became as black, barren land.
فأصبحت كالصريم
So the (garden) became, by the morning, like a dark and desolate spot, (whose fruit had been gathered).
And they called out to each other in the morning,
فتنادوا مصبحين
As the morning broke, they called out, one to another, -
Saying: Go early to your tilth if you would cut (the produce).
أن اغدوا على حرثكم إن كنتم صارمين
"Go ye to your tilth (betimes) in the morning, if ye would gather the fruits."
So they went, while they consulted together secretly,
فانطلقوا وهم يتخافتون
So they departed, conversing in secret low tones, (saying) -
Saying: No poor man shall enter it today upon you.
أن لا يدخلنها اليوم عليكم مسكين
"Let not a single indigent person break in upon you into the (garden) this day."
And in the morning they went, having the power to prevent.
وغدوا على حرد قادرين
And they opened the morning, strong in an (unjust) resolve.
But when they saw it, they said: Most surely we have gone astray
فلما رأوها قالوا إنا لضالون
But when they saw the (garden), they said: "We have surely lost our way:
Nay! we are made to suffer privation.
بل نحن محرومون
"Indeed we are shut out (of the fruits of our labour)!"
The best of them said: Did I not say to you, Why do you not glorify (Allah)?
قال أوسطهم ألم أقل لكم لولا تسبحون
Said one of them, more just (than the rest): "Did I not say to you, 'Why not glorify (Allah)?'"
They said: Glory be to our Lord, surely we were unjust.
قالوا سبحان ربنا إنا كنا ظالمين
They said: "Glory to our Lord! Verily we have been doing wrong!"
Then some of them advanced against others, blaming each other.
فأقبل بعضهم على بعض يتلاومون
Then they turned, one against another, in reproach.
Said they: O woe to us! surely we were inordinate:
قالوا يا ويلنا إنا كنا طاغين
They said: "Alas for us! We have indeed transgressed!
Maybe, our Lord will give us instead one better than it; surely to our Lord do we make our humble petition.
عسى ربنا أن يبدلنا خيرا منها إنا إلى ربنا راغبون
"It may be that our Lord will give us in exchange a better (garden) than this: for we do turn to Him (in repentance)!"
Such is the chastisement, and certainly the chastisement of the hereafter is greater, did they but know!
كذلك العذاب ۖ ولعذاب الآخرة أكبر ۚ لو كانوا يعلمون
Such is the Punishment (in this life); but greater is the Punishment in the Hereafter, - if only they knew!
Surely those who guard (against evil) shall have with their Lord gardens of bliss.
إن للمتقين عند ربهم جنات النعيم
Verily, for the Righteous, are Gardens of Delight, in the Presence of their Lord.
What! shall We then make (that is, treat) those who submit as the guilty?
أفنجعل المسلمين كالمجرمين
Shall We then treat the People of Faith like the People of Sin?
What has happened to you? How do you judge?
ما لكم كيف تحكمون
What is the matter with you? How judge ye?
Or have you a book wherein you read,
أم لكم كتاب فيه تدرسون
Or have ye a book through which ye learn -
That you have surely therein what you choose?
إن لكم فيه لما تخيرون
That ye shall have, through it whatever ye choose?
Or have you received from Us an agreement confirmed by an oath extending to the day of resurrection that you shall surely have what you demand?
أم لكم أيمان علينا بالغة إلى يوم القيامة ۙ إن لكم لما تحكمون
Or have ye Covenants with Us to oath, reaching to the Day of Judgment, (providing) that ye shall have whatever ye shall demand?
Ask them which of them will vouch for that,
سلهم أيهم بذلك زعيم
Ask thou of them, which of them will stand surety for that!
Or have they associates if they are truthful.
أم لهم شركاء فليأتوا بشركائهم إن كانوا صادقين
Or have they some "Partners" (in Allahhead)? Then let them produce their "partners", if they are truthful!
On the day when there shall be a severe affliction, and they shall be called upon to make obeisance, but they shall not be able,
يوم يكشف عن ساق ويدعون إلى السجود فلا يستطيعون
The Day that the shin shall be laid bare, and they shall be summoned to bow in adoration, but they shall not be able, -
Their looks cast down, abasement shall overtake them; and they were called upon to make obeisance indeed while yet they were safe.
خاشعة أبصارهم ترهقهم ذلة ۖ وقد كانوا يدعون إلى السجود وهم سالمون
Their eyes will be cast down, - ignominy will cover them; seeing that they had been summoned aforetime to bow in adoration, while they were whole, (and had refused).
So leave Me and him who rejects this announcement; We will overtake them by degrees, from whence they perceive not:
فذرني ومن يكذب بهذا الحديث ۖ سنستدرجهم من حيث لا يعلمون
Then leave Me alone with such as reject this Message: by degrees shall We punish them from directions they perceive not.
And I do bear with them, surely My plan is firm.
وأملي لهم ۚ إن كيدي متين
A (long) respite will I grant them: truly powerful is My Plan.
Or do you ask from them a reward, so that they are burdened with debt?
أم تسألهم أجرا فهم من مغرم مثقلون
Or is it that thou dost ask them for a reward, so that they are burdened with a load of debt? -
Or have they (the knowledge of) the unseen, so that they write (it) down?
أم عندهم الغيب فهم يكتبون
Or that the Unseen is in their hands, so that they can write it down?
So wait patiently for the judgment of your Lord, and be not like the companion of the fish, when he cried while he was in distress.
فاصبر لحكم ربك ولا تكن كصاحب الحوت إذ نادى وهو مكظوم
So wait with patience for the Command of thy Lord, and be not like the Companion of the Fish, - when he cried out in agony.
Were it not that favor from his Lord had overtaken him, he would certainly have been cast down upon the naked Found while he was blamed.
لولا أن تداركه نعمة من ربه لنبذ بالعراء وهو مذموم
Had not Grace from his Lord reached him, he would indeed have been cast off on the naked shore, in disgrace.
Then his Lord chose him, and He made him of the good.
فاجتباه ربه فجعله من الصالحين
Thus did his Lord choose him and make him of the Company of the Righteous.
And those who disbelieve would almost smite you with their eyes when they hear the reminder, and they say: Most surely he is mad.
وإن يكاد الذين كفروا ليزلقونك بأبصارهم لما سمعوا الذكر ويقولون إنه لمجنون
And the Unbelievers would almost trip thee up with their eyes when they hear the Message; and they say: "Surely he is possessed!"
And it is naught but a reminder to the nations.
وما هو إلا ذكر للعالمين
But it is nothing less than a Message to all the worlds.